facial paralysis

[Becky]

I really like refresh tears, and I use it every day.  When my eye was dryer I used the liquigel.  These are both very mild and soothing ... good to keep around if you have mild to moderate, or moderate to dry eyes, respectively.   
Becky

[jcc]

Hey Becky, have you noticed that you needed less and less as time passed? I'm 1.5 years post op and I find that my eyes are less dry this winter than last.

[Becky]

I'm glad that you had less dryness this winter than last.  I have heard it can take up to 2 yrs for the facial nerve to recover from trauma.

Mine varies with any given day. 

For the first 4 or 5 months of my recovery I kept a post-op journal, and had recovered to where I was not using any lubrication.  Then I had a setback ... things have improved some since then, but with synkinesis.  Mouth pulls eye and eye pulls mouth.   

Hope it continues getting better for you.
Becky

[MikeC]

Times, techniques and medical science changes. 25 years ago I was left with inability to close my left eye. I used eye drops perhaps 4 times a day, as I would feel a "bitting" pain after a few hours outside in the wind, or cold. My Neurologist told me to stop using the drops, as they could cause problems. I did, and by next winter I did not need drops, as I felt no pain. Unfortunately, the eye was beginning to protect itself, since i was not. It began "glossing" over ... I use that term for lack of correct medical term ... the doctors said, "ruptured blood vessels". I found I could not see anything except light and dark not long after that. Today I use unpreserved Tears Naturale P.M. and night and the Refresh Celluvisc extra-strength during the day ... maybe 4, or 5 times a day. I wish I, and my neurologist, had known of such protection precautions at the time of my surgeries ... but then the ANA was not in existence at that time.

My message is simply, "Keep the eye moist and lubricated, with a nonpreservative ointment/drops."  :-/

[Becky]

Mike,
Has your vision improved since you resumed use of lubrication?  I think the eye would get very sticky without adequate moisture, and this can damage the cornea.  I didn't realize dryness also affects the capiliaries.  I'm sorry that happened to you.  In the hospital I was given teargen, but this irritated my eye and I threw it out.  Fortunately, there are drops available now that don't irritate.

Becky

[Wendy]

MIkeC, would you please repeat what you use at night?  thanks so much.
Wendy

[MikeC]

MIkeC, would you please repeat what you use at night?  thanks so much.
Wendy

Hello Wendy . . .

I use an ointment ... the tube is labled "unpreserved Tears Naturale P.M. lubricant eye ointment .5 gm Alcon"  I get it at Safeway among other places. Since I could not close my eyelid, the cool night air dried the eye ... without feeling the pain I was left unaware of the damage being done ... I had two, or three eye exams during the three years of surgeries, then one the year following the last surgery, which was when the neurologist told me I could hurt the eye and to stop using the eye drops. I did not have the eye looked at again for 15 years. Big mistake. A that time the doctor said an ulcer had formed and offered the option of a glass eye. I was against this so he prescribed the unpreserved drops and ointment ... every 4 hours with the drops and at night with the ointment. I've followed this faithfully for two years and last visit he said he could see the retina. I can now actually feel the eye drops splash onto the eye. How wonderful that almost forgotten sensation. I still can only see light and dark in that eye, but maybe the light is a little brighter.

Good luck on your journey Wendy ... share your trip ... it can be more enjoyable.

MikeC

[MikeC]

Mike,
Has your vision improved since you resumed use of lubrication?  .

Becky

Not really Becky. THe eye has done well in healing the ulcer that had formed (due to the dry eye .. no moist/lubricating media). The eye doctor said on my last visit that he could now see the cornea and retina, that it looked good and if anything happened to my right eye, a transplant just might work to restore the vision ...

"In the valley of the blind, the one eyed man is king"

Pleasant journey Becky ...

                               MikeC

[bluestar]

Thank you for your discussion of this topic - it makes me feel less isolated. After reading your emails I went back to my eye doctor  and found out that the preservatives in the Lacrilube had caused severe irritation and she prescribed me some new drops called Systane (in Australia). They are made by Alcorn (the names of medications can vary between countries). I have been taking antihihistamines as well. As a result I can now see out of my left eye for the first time since the operation(20 months ago).

I have had various Drs tell me that I didn't need to use anything and fail to tell me what else to do I was aware that what happened to Mike could happen, so kept using the Lacrilube.

As a result of my new treatment I am feeling much better and not so fatigued.

Thank you for your help.

I haven't written because I had problems with my email .

I feel privileged to have met you all. Thank you for your help. And please remember that even if someone does not write in, you are probably helping a lot of people.

Bluestar

[antoinette]

I used an ordinary drama school tuning exercise to retrain my facial weakness which made my lower lip to drop perceptively lower on one side. Vanity was mostly the goal, but when I had learned these exercises, it was for a sluggish pronunciation on some words. I was 18 and enrolled in a drama and mime course in Paris. The simple way to retrain consisted in using words, and reciting the alphabet in an exaggerated style, then slowly arrive to those words that were hard to pronounce and work them to the finish. When satisfied with the pronunciation obtained that way, we would put a marble in the mouth and repeat the exercise, then 2 marbles and more, but the end result was to obtain a perfect elocution of the words or sentence given to work on. Then when perfect in spite of these handicaps, the speed and expression had to be worked on.
Believe me, when you spat these marbles, it was incredible easy to go thru any text, no matter how difficult.
I used this to get my lip back in place and also used certain words that use certain muscles around the lips, while driving, when doing something light like house work or cooking. I am sure most people seeing me move my lips thought I was singing with the radio.
One bonus, though. It acts like a face-lift and give you a nice cat face look, At my age, that is a real bonus!

[Becky]

Ant, I would think marbles in the mouth are dangerous as one could choke on them.  There has to be a better way !!

Becky

[Wendy]

Thank you, MikeC.  I am still having technical difficulties with this new format, so forgive, please.  I cannot see the post while I write the reply, and that is odd for me.  (Just found out how while re-reading and correctiong my post before sending.)
My new ophthalmologist  is against all artificial tears with preservative for me, and he asked that I stop using Refresh PM as I used to wash it out in the morning with eye wash, which he says has preservatives.  He asked me to use either Celluvisc or Endura at night and Refresh Plus during day at least three times.  I use it even more usually.  I often wake with a crust on my lids from the Celluvisc.  Am I using too much or is this normal?
I only just saw your post even though I went to this site yesterday evening.  Having only one land line for telephone and computer makes this new format less attractive to me.  I was searching last night on the site and missed a telephone appointment...I lost track of time, my fault, but not good.
I'm still trying to work out the best regime for my eyes.  Even with the drops sometimes they, well, my AN eye, has a pulling sensation which makes it more comfortable to close both eyes.
thanks for the input.
Wendy

[antoinette]

becky, it may be dangerous if you are eating a sandwich at the same time :-)
For a grown-up, you can put something like a marble in your mouth and recite the alphabet, believe me.
Sometimes a student had the same concern because, mostly, they were nervous about doing well in front of other class-mates. The teacher advised putting the fat end of their stylo (stylo was then a fountain pen, not a Bic), well trust me if you swallow a nice glass marble, you can wait for it at the exit, it will be exactly the same and you too :-)

[Pembo]

I use Lacrilube about 4 times a day and my eye feels great but it causes my vision to be blurry. Only noticable if I try to do something like cross-stitch....I have tried other eye drops but they just don't work as well.

Anything else like Lacrilube that doesn't cause the blurriness??

[Joy]

Believe me, I would get choked on marbles    The last surgery I had done - damaged the muscles on the left side of my face which caused my lower jaw (or the muscles) to move out of alignment.